Tough baby back ribs!?!
Tough baby back ribs!?
I've been cooking over fires for over 50 years, so I feel pretty good when it comes to cooking. I even wrote my own recipe book for my family.
BUT, when it comes to ribs, they always come out tough. I go to the restaurants and the bone will twist off the meat.
I remove the silver skin, and I've pre-boiled in water, slow cooked, fast cooked, wrapped in foil, and just about anything else you can think of. Still, I'm missing something.
Do you have any suggestions?
I really would appreciate your help.
Plus tell me about your basting sauce.
Answers:
Not to be full of myself but, I'm a master at Baby Back Ribs.
I can only repeat what others posted.
Removing the silver shin needs to be done first. Then DO NOT PRE-BOIL.
All the pros will tell you "Low and Slow" is the trick. You need a smoker. I've used gas and charcoal . I prefer charcoal banked up in the opposite side from your ribs. Under you meat you need a metal bowl full of water.
Try to keep the temp at 180*F . The wood you put on top of the charcoal should smolder. May need to soak it in water first.Wood selected also adds a wonderfull flavor. I prefer pecan, hickory ,apple or oak. About 4 hours will produce tender yummy ribs.Under cooking will make them tough as well as pre-boiling them.you need the fat to melt slowly.
yes
Have you ever made a yankee pot roast? It's the same basic principle. Cook for a VERY long time over a VERY low heat until the meat almost drops off the bone. I don't usually use a basting sauce. I prefer a dry rub. Cook ribs over indirect heat. On a charcoal barbecue, bank coals around the edges of a covered grill. For a gas barbecue, light only one burner and place ribs on opposite side of grill or roast in a 180 C( 350 F) oven. Grill or roast ribs 1 1/2 - 2 hours. You'll know the ribs are 'done' when the meat wiggles from the bone.
If you don't want to purchase a rub...here is a good one: ALL-PURPOSE RIB MASTER'S RUB: 100 ml (6 tablespoons) paprika, 20 ml (4 teaspoons) garlic powder, 20 ml( 4 teaspoons) seasoned salt, 20 ml (4 teaspoons) ground black pepper, 10 ml (2 teaspoons) cayenne, 10 ml (2 teaspoons) ground oregano, 10 ml (2 teaspoons) dry mustard, 5 ml ( 1 teaspoon) chili powder. Place all ingredients in jar with tight-fitting lid; shake well to blend seasonings thoroughly. Store covered at room temperature. Makes about 175 ml ( 3/4 cup- enough to coat 2 slabs of pork back ribs).
I always slow simmer them first in salt water. Simmer for about 40 minutes, then move to oven or grill. I have always taken Sweet baby Ray's sauce, added a little Jack daniel's , minced garlic and onion and slowly simmered that while prepping my ribs.
My husband bakes them in the oven for a few hours before putting them on the fire. He was having the same problem as you until he started baking them first. As for his basting sauce I cannot say he won't even tell me
Hhhmmm....... It seems like you are doing the right thing.
I made baby back ribs this weekend. I didn't remove the silver skin. On both I rubbed in a liberal amount of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and chili powder. I wrapped this tightly in foil paper. I let this cook over indirect, moderate heat on an open grill for about 3 hours. You can do the same thing in the oven though on 300.
After I put it in the oven I mix 1 jar of bbq sauce, generally whatever is on sale. To this I add the same seasonings, 1 finely diced chipotle pepper in adobo, and about 1/4 cup of brown sugar. I eyeball all of the seasonings, but not to much of any. I put this in the microwave for about 3 minutes.
After the three hours the ribs should be fall off the bone tender. Then I baste them with bbq sauce mix and let the outside get carmelized.
you are probably using spare ribs instead of a more tender kind of rib. start buying baby back ribs or st.louis ribs they are more tender. spare ribs are usually tough. (the ribs with the big bones)
put the ribs in a cooking bag and let them cook slowly in the oven. not on high heat. ribs need to cook slowly.
20 minutes before taking the ribs from the oven, brush the ribs with your favorite bbq sauce and let them continue to cook for a few minutes.
Jack Daniels Bar-B- Que sauce with lemon. So good! What if you try cooking them on the lowest heat possible with the cover closed. At the end leave the top open and flip them quickly on both sides for a little browned edges! Once I pre-boil mine and grill them that way they are falling off the bone! Good Luck!
What can we say
Get a new butcher.
change your market
What do We know
Where do you live?
Over cooking always make the bones fall away ???
Thats why pre boiling !!
If you live at 10,000 FT you don't expect it to reach 212 >????
Try a pressure cooker...
then BBQ
we can't help
This always works for me: I put the ribs (either baby back or regular) in a large pan and barely cover them with water (some use beer and water).
Cover the pan tightly with foil and SLOW-COOK (that's the secret - it's called braising); 325 - 350 degrees for approx. 3 hours (for regular ribs, make it 4 hours). I usually turn the oven off after the 3-4 hours and let it sit in a hot oven for an additional hour.
Take out the ribs and put on the grill. Baste liberally (I like Sweet Baby Ray's Honey Barbeque sauce). Caramelize the sauce (so it's sticky and a little charred) and serve.
It's been a hit everytime I serve it!
I'll be honest with you. I am not a fan of boiling my ribs first...They lose a lot of the flavor that way in my opinion.
Here's what a very very old chef at the restaurant i work at told me...
get a good rub on your meat then rub your meat very very well. On hand keep a container of apple cider vinegar handy. now, get a spit...that's the next important step. they're inexpensive to come by and if you've been doing this for over 50 years im sure you have one....
baste the ribs with the apple cider vinegar liberally and frequently during the cooking time. The vinegar will help tenderize your meat and lend a wonderful smoky applewood taste to your meat. When nearly finished slather on a good amount of your favorite BBQ sauce... Personally I love a good Georgia Mustard recipe... Try to find one. You'll thank me